Bill-holder.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

H. Y. OTTO.

BILL HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1904.

Witnesses I u I UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OEErcE.

BILL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,060, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed October 29, 1904. Serial No. 230,540.

7"!) all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE Y. OTTO, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of W illiamsport, county of Lycoming, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bill- Holders, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing the pockets opened, and Fig. 2 a cross-section showing the pockets closed by the adjustable strap-fastening.

The object of this invention is to provide a simply and durably constructed pocket billholder especially adapted for the use of collectors; and it consists of certain novel features of construction hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a des ignates a board of suitable length and width and preferably provided with a pair of eyelets a/ at its upper end for convenience in hanging it up. Secured to the rear face of the board is a back pocket which extends substantially the full length of the board and con sists of a suitable cardboard or other stiff backing-piece b and a flexible connectingweb 0, extending along the sides and the bot tom of the pocket and folded centrally longitudinally accordion-plaited fashion. On the front of the board is another pocket, which extends from its lower end upward about one-third the length of the board and consists,like the back pocket, of a stiff front piece (Z and a flexible accordion-plaited web connection 6. The board 0 forms one side of each of the pockets, as shown. W'ithin one or both the vertical folds in the web connection 6 is secured a vertical pocket ffor the reception of a pencil or a fountain-pen. These pockets are so located, as is obvious from Fig 2, that when the front pocket is closed against the board the pen or pencil will lie within the outer edge of the board and be protected thereby. These pockets are made of flexible material, so that they will flatten if empty when the front pocket is closed against the board, whereby the utmost compactness is secured.

Hinged to the upper edge of the face-plate or board (Z of the front pocket is a closure-flap g, having a width equal to the face-plate (Z and the board a and reaching to near the top edge of the board. 'Secured to the front face of the flap 9 near its upper end is an elastic strap h, which is adapted to be fastened around the device and to have its free end fastened to the front face of the flap, so as to close both pockets. Any suitable fastening means may be employed, but I prefer to use a fastener of the ball-and-socket type, securing a series of the sockets or knobs 6 across the face of the flap and a socket to the end of the strap, so that the fastener will be rendered adjustable to accommodate packets of papers of varying thicknesses. Thc balls or knobs i serve to fasten the permanently-sccured end of the strap securely to the flap, as shown. Also hinged to the upper edge of the face-plate d of the front pocket is a cardslate is, having a width and length substantially coinciding with the flap 9 and adapted to lie closely against the same when said flap is closed. This card-slate is preferably made of the well-known white silicate cardboard, which will permit pencil memoranda made thereon to be erased at will. Both sides of this slate are adapted to receive mcmoranda.

The use and'advantages of a bill-holder constructed as above described are obvious It completely envelops the contents, and thereby keeps the bills always neat and in condition for presentation by the collector, and by thus protecting the bills much work on the part of the bookkeeper in making out new bills will obviously be avoided in that the collector will not be so liable to lose or tear or soil the bills. The device contains every thing a collector needs. The white slate is in a convenient position for the receipt of memoranda of daily collections, which may be erased at will, leaving the slate blank for the reception of new memoranda, and the location and construction of the front pocket ad- Inits of the placing of the pencil or pen pockets in a convenient position. The rear pocket is adapted to receive and effectually protect bills which have been presented and not paid or which for other reasons are to be returned to the bookkeeper.

The device possesses other advantages,

which will be understood by persons having use for this class of devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bill-holder consisting of a main board, a flexible pocket on its rear face extending approximately the full length of the board, a flexible pocket on its front face at its lower end, a closure-flap hinged to the upper front face-plate of the front pocket and having ,a width substantially equal thereto and extending to near the top of the board, a slatecard also hinged to the upper end of the front wall of the pocket and lying against the inner face of the closure-flap, and a fastening device adapted to surround the rear pocket and the closure-flap and clamp the same to the board and thereby close both pockets and clamp the contents thereof against the board.

2. In combination with a board, a front pocket flexibly connected to the front face of the board and adapted to fold against the same, this pocket extending but part way up the board, a collapsible vertical pen or pencil pocket secured to the exterior of one of the flexible side walls of the pocket and adapted to lie within the side edge of the board when the pocket is closed, and a closure-flap hinged to the upper end of the front wall of the pocket, and a fastening device for the closure-flap.

3. In combination with a main support or board, a front pocket open at its upper end and flexibly connected to the front face of the board, this pocket being located at the lower end of the board and extending but part way up the same, a closure-flap hinged to the front wall of said pocket, and a memo randa-card hinged to the front wall of the pocket and lying against the inner side of the flap, and a fastening device for clamping the closure-fl ap and the memoranda-card against the board, for the purposes set forth.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of October, 1904.

HORACE Y. OTTO.

Witnesses:

H. M. OTTO, F. ARTHUR RIANI-IARD. 

